Paul Watson Photography
South Shields, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Last updated: 21 August 2026
1. Introduction
Paul Watson Photography respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect personal information when you contact me, use my website, book my photography services or appear in photographs that I take.
This policy applies to my wedding photography, commercial photography, food photography and property/real estate photography services.
I aim to handle personal information fairly, transparently and securely in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
2. Information I May Collect
Depending on the services you use, I may collect information including:
- Your name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Postal address
- Information about your photography requirements
- Booking and appointment information
- Details contained within correspondence between you and Paul Watson Photography
- Payment and invoicing information where required
- Photographs and video/images taken as part of my photography services
- Information you provide through my website contact forms
- Website usage information, including information collected through cookies and analytics services
I only collect information that is reasonably necessary for providing my services, communicating with you and operating my business.
3. How I Collect Your Information
Information may be collected when you:
- Contact me by email, telephone or through my website
- Request a quotation
- Make a booking
- Purchase photography services
- Provide information relating to a photography project
- Visit or use my website
- Interact with my social media pages
- Appear in photographs taken during a photography assignment
Where information is provided to me by a client about other people, such as wedding guests or employees taking part in a commercial photography session, the client should ensure that they are entitled to provide that information where required.
4. How I Use Your Information
I may use your personal information to:
- Respond to enquiries
- Provide quotations
- Arrange and manage photography bookings
- Communicate with clients about photography assignments
- Provide photography services
- Manage payments and invoices
- Deliver photographs to clients
- Keep appropriate business and financial records
- Maintain records relating to previous photography assignments
- Improve my website and services
- Promote Paul Watson Photography
- Display selected photographs on my website, portfolio, social media pages and other marketing materials where I am entitled to do so
- Analyse website traffic and usage
- Protect my business against fraud, misuse or other unlawful activity
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
5. Photographs and Marketing
Photography is the core service provided by Paul Watson Photography, and photographs may contain identifiable individuals.
I may retain selected photographs from photography assignments for portfolio, promotional and marketing purposes. Some photographs may therefore be retained indefinitely.
These photographs may be used on:
- The Paul Watson Photography website
- Other social media platforms
- Photography portfolios
- Promotional material
- Advertising and marketing material
Where appropriate, I will take into account any contractual arrangements or specific permissions relating to the use of photographs.
If you have concerns about the use of a particular photograph featuring you, or would like to discuss its removal from my marketing materials, please contact me at [email protected].
Please note that removing a photograph from my own website or social media accounts does not necessarily mean that copies already shared or downloaded by third parties can be recovered.
6. Lawful Basis for Processing
Depending on the circumstances, I may process personal information using one or more of the following lawful bases:
Contract
I may need to process your information to provide photography services that you have requested or to take steps before entering into a contract with you.
Legal obligation
I may process information where this is necessary to comply with legal, accounting or tax requirements.
Legitimate interests
I may process information where it is reasonably necessary for the operation, management and promotion of my photography business, provided that my interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
This may include maintaining appropriate business records, managing client relationships, protecting my business and promoting my photography work.
Consent
Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, I will request consent where required. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting me.
7. Website and Google Analytics
My website is operated using WordPress.
I use Google Analytics to help understand how visitors use my website. This may involve collecting information such as pages visited, approximate location, device information, browser information and website interaction data.
Google Analytics may use cookies or similar technologies.
Where required, non-essential cookies and analytics technologies will only be used after obtaining the appropriate consent through my website’s cookie consent mechanism.
You can manage or withdraw your cookie preferences through the cookie controls provided on my website.
8. Social Media
Paul Watson Photography uses social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram to promote photography services and display photography work.
Information you provide directly to these platforms is governed by their own privacy policies.
Where photographs are published on social media as part of my business marketing, I will process those photographs in accordance with the terms of my agreements with clients and applicable data protection requirements.
9. Who I Share Your Information With
I do not sell your personal information.
Where necessary for operating my business, I may share information with appropriate third parties, which may include:
- Website hosting and technical service providers
- Website analytics providers
- Payment providers
- Accounting or bookkeeping services
- Professional advisers
- Cloud storage or backup providers
- Government authorities, law enforcement or other organisations where I am legally required to do so
Third-party providers may process information on my behalf. Where applicable, appropriate contractual and security measures will be used.
10. International Data Transfers
Some third-party services used by Paul Watson Photography may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards will be used where required by applicable data protection law.
11. How Long I Keep Your Information
I will retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless I am required to retain it for longer by law.
Client and business records may be retained for an appropriate period for accounting, legal, tax and business purposes.
Photographs may be retained for an extended period where they are required for client services, business records, portfolio purposes or marketing.
Selected photographs used for portfolio and marketing purposes may be retained indefinitely.
12. Keeping Your Information Secure
I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.
Digital information may be stored using password-protected computers, storage systems and reputable third-party services.
However, no method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
13. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights under UK data protection law, including:
- The right to request access to personal information I hold about you
- The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
- The right to request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances
- The right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
- The right to object to certain processing
- The right to data portability in certain circumstances
- The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
Some of these rights are subject to legal conditions and exemptions and may not apply in every situation.
If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact:
Paul Watson Photography
South Shields, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
14. Photographs and Requests for Removal
If you appear in a photograph used by Paul Watson Photography for promotional purposes and wish to discuss its use or request removal, please contact me using the details above.
I will consider requests in accordance with applicable data protection law and any contractual or legal obligations that apply.
15. Children’s Personal Information
Photography assignments may sometimes involve children, particularly weddings, family events and other events.
Where photographs of children are taken, I will handle personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
Where appropriate, consent or permission may be obtained from a parent, guardian, client or event organiser.
16. Third-Party Websites
My website and social media pages may contain links to third-party websites or services.
I am not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security of third-party websites.
You should review the privacy policies of third-party services before providing them with personal information.
17. Changes to This Privacy Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to my business, website, services or applicable data protection requirements.
The latest version will be published on my website with the date it was last updated.
18. Contact Me
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how I handle your personal information, please contact:
Paul Watson Photography
South Shields, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
19. Complaints
If you have concerns about how I have handled your personal information, please contact me first so that I have an opportunity to address your concerns.
You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
You can find information about making a complaint on the ICO’s website.
